Far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., exchanged barbs this week over their differences on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's, R-Calif., speaker bid.
After extracting various concessions, Greene has been one of McCarthy's biggest defenders against a push from other far-right lawmakers to torpedo his speaker bid or extract even more concessions. Unlike Greene, Boebert has been noncommittal on McCarthy's ascension unless there is an "accountability mechanism" to easily remove him from the job.
Boebert took a shot at Greene at the Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix on Monday while discussing her differences with the Georgia Republican.
"I've been aligned with Marjorie and accused of believing a lot of the things that she believes in," Boebert said. "I don't believe in [McCarthy as speaker], just as I don't believe in Russian space lasers, Jewish space lasers and all of this," she added, referring to a conspiracy theory shared by Greene linking wildfires to a fictional space laser controlled by the Rothschilds, a wealthy Jewish family at the heart of many antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Greene fired back on Twitter, accusing Boebert of stoking "high school drama."
"I've supported and donated to Lauren Boebert. President Trump has supported and donated to Lauren Boebert. Kevin McCarthy has supported and donated to Lauren Boebert. She just barely came through by 500 votes," Greene wrote, referring to Boebert's narrow re-election victory.
"She gladly takes our $$$ but when she's been asked: Lauren refuses to endorse President Trump, she refuses to support Kevin McCarthy, and she childishly threw me under the bus for a cheap sound bite," Greene added.
She gladly takes our $$$ but when she’s been asked:
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 19, 2022
Lauren refuses to endorse President Trump, she refuses to support Kevin McCarthy, and she childishly threw me under the bus for a cheap sound bite.
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Boebert in the wake of her narrow win declined to endorse former President Donald Trump's 2024 White House bid last month, saying that while she remains a "huge supporter" she also "loves" Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Greene and Boebert have frequently been linked, especially after they teamed up to heckle President Joe Biden during his first State of the Union address.
But their feud has been simmering for months. Politico reported in April that Boebert and Greene "tangled" over the Georgia Republican's February appearance at an event hosted by white nationalist Nick Fuentes during a House Freedom Caucus meeting in March.
"Their confrontation grew so heated that at least one onlooker feared the Greene-Boebert back-and-forth might escalate beyond the verbal cage match had another board member not stepped in to de-escalate," the outlet reported at the time.
Other far-right Republicans have also joked about Greene's conspiracy theory. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., had been allied with Greene before splitting over his opposition to McCarthy's speaker bid.
"Whatever Kevin has promised Marjorie Taylor Greene, I guarantee you this at the first opportunity, he will zap her faster than you can say Jewish space laser," Gaetz said during an interview last month.
During an appearance at the Turning Point USA event on Monday, Gaetz again highlighted that they do not "see the same on" McCarthy's bid.
Greene shared the video on Twitter and pushed back on the criticism.
"The Dems want the corrupt DOJ to prosecute Trump, the special counsel is weaponized, the FBI colluded w/ Twitter to silence Americans & Hunter's laptop, the border is over run, and McCarthy is ready to take on these issues," she wrote. "The country won't wait for the cherry blossoms to bloom."
The Dems want the corrupt DOJ to prosecute Trump, the special counsel is weaponized, the FBI colluded w/ Twitter to silence Americans & Hunter’s laptop, the border is over run, and McCarthy is ready to take on these issues.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 19, 2022
The country won’t wait for the cherry blossoms to bloom. https://t.co/VhmCIbUE25
Greene in an interview with former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis denied that she had to make compromises to support McCarthy.
"First of all, let me say I haven't compromised anything. Nothing has changed about me, and I had no deals I had to make to support Kevin McCarthy," Greene said. "I'm a realist. And so I make my decision based on what's actually realistic, not what we wish or fantasize can happen in Congress."
